Political Wisdom: Should McChrystal Be Fired?

By

Mary Lu Carnevale

Jun 22, 2010 9:15 am ET

The White House appears to be in an uproar over sniping from Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S.’s top commander in Afghanistan. McChrystal has apologied for his remarks in a Rolling Stone article — and now will get an opportunity to do so in person this week since he has been summoned back to Washington by President Barack Obama.

Analysts who are close to the situation and know McChrystal well believe that while the remarks were wrong, it would be a bigger mistake to let McChrystal go at such a critical time in the war.

“He made a big mistake, but he is a fantastic general, and not only that but a modest man who is respectful of others,” says Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at Brookings.

“That makes these comments even more uncharacteristic and unfortunate,” he said. “We need him, and Ambassador Eikenberry, for this effort, and I am confident knowing both men well that they can put these issues behind them for the greater good.”

McChrystal, an expert on counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency, has long been thought to be uniquely qualified to lead in Afghanistan. But he is not known for being media savvy.